The Legend of Kokkora
by Bivinz
Summary: 12 years ago the Red Lotus almost succeeded in their plan to kidnap Korra as a child, but a stranger with stranger powers intervened. Today, Korra and her savior "Bakoro," sets their sights on Republic City in order to bring it back into balance. Vigilante style. AU.
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: Legend of Korra. This story is purely for entertainment purposes only.

Prologue

It was twelve years ago to this day that he forsook the parental chains that bound him to his old life. Escaping from the living hell that was his "Father", he took off on his own and never looked back. Wandering the world, experiencing its beauty and learning from all that it had to offer, he felt liberated from his former shell of a life. Finally, the goals he had planned all those years ago were starting to come together. Through blood, sweat, and many other people's tears, he could finally start on the path of his true destiny.

He contemplated these ideas as he continued on his training trip on the territorial edges of the Southern Water Tribe. He was hiking through the extremely cold climates in order to improve his water bending. Wearing a light, hooded black cloak, made from Dragonwhale scales and Polarsheep wool, along with pants made from the skins of Artic Camels and boots crafted from the finest Sharktopus leather, he trudged along snow dune after snow dune. The thin transparent panes of ice he created and levitated around him, serving as a barrier to block the freezing winds, was a constant drain on his energy. He had already shattered his previous record of five hours – going well into his seventh with no end in sight.

"_Not a bad run_," he thought. "_Another hour or two and I'll be back in the city."_

He wiped off a few beads of sweat that had gathered on his brow. His olive toned skin was a stark contrast against the pure white snow billowing all around him. Brushing some strands of his raven-black hair away from his face and behind his ear, he noticed a strange looking snowstorm rapidly moving towards him.

_That's weird. Why's it coming from the city when all the wind around me is moving towards it?_ He thought, _this could be trouble._

He concealed his presence underneath the snow while still keeping line of sight on the oncoming storm. He quickly noticed that it wasn't a natural storm at all. Though hazy, he could make out five figures in the eye of the storm and that one was carrying some kind of large package. One of the figures was waving his arms around and he figured that was probably the one responsible for this freak snowstorm. Figuring this could serve as another test of his skills, he popped out the snow dune he created and, with practiced precision, he entered a water bending form and reversed the motions of all the flurrying snow, nullifying the storm itself.

"What's going on here, Unalaq?! We're wide open here!" Demanded a long black haired man dressed in a Earth Kingdom green.

"I don't know! Someone must be interfering with my water bending," Unalaq yelled back, "We're not alone out here!"

"They can't have caught up to us already," snarled a woman dressed in a tattered blue combat uniform. "We killed the parents and did a lot of damage to Zuko and Sokka in that attack."

"Everyone, form a circle around the Avatar! We've come too far to risk losing out now," screamed a tall woman with a big eye tattoo on her forehead.

"Whoever you are, show yourself now and we might let you live," said a stout but bulky man who had the stature of a general. "If you don't, we'll burn this entire area right here and now with you in it."

_Did that eye girl just say they had the Avatar?_ His mind raced. _I can't believe they shoved an 80 year old man into a sack like that. That's not how you treat the elderly._

Walking out with his hands raised, he approached the _(Hmm, splendidly multiethnic) _band of criminals who were all now ready to wipe him off the face of the planet.

"Whoa there, friends!" He greeted them, "What a fine day for a stroll across the arctic. I was just on a walk myself, you see."

"Is this guy for real?" barked the green haired man.

"It doesn't matter! Kill him now!" Screamed Unalaq.

The woman with the eye tattoos took a deep breath and tilted her head back. She was just about to lurch forward and do something when she suddenly stopped cold.

"P-Li! What are you waiting for? Zap this guy's head off already!" Urged the woman in blue.

"I… I can't!" P-li managed to squeak out, "I can't move my body!"

"Ghazan!" yelled the stout man.

"I'm on it!" replied Ghazan. He took out some rocks, started earth bending them in circles until they looked like they could saw through anything. He then somehow made them glow red hot and they suddenly got a hundred times more deadly. He was just about to throw his lava blades at the man he was aiming at, but the man waved his left hand over to the right and suddenly Ghazan threw those blades without even realizing it. "WHA-"

He didn't even get time to finish his exclamation as a scream erupted from the woman in blue so loud and piercing that her friends could only stand in ghastly shock as her arms dropped lifelessly away from her shoulders thanks to the instant dismemberment and cauterization from Ghazan's heated rock saws. The scream didn't last long as she passed out from the shock soon after.

"NO, MING-HUA!" cried Ghazan.

"WHAT DID YOU DO!?" bellowed the stout man.

"Zaheer, I… I didn't… I can't have.." whimpered Ghazan as he went to Ming-Hua and cradled her unconscious body.

Zaheer narrowed his eyes and turned his head back to the lone man standing across from him.  
>"You… You did this. How?!" He yelled.<p>

All the man did was smirk. With his hands still raised in the air, he said, "That's my secret, but all I did was equalize the playing field." With that said, he concentrated all his chi into his hands and clenched them into fists.

Zaheer, P-Li, Unalaq and Ghazan all seized up at the same time. Struggling for control of their own bodies, they tried to fight against the invisible monster that was quickly seizing the life out of them. Unalaq was the first to drop and was quickly followed by P-Li. To his credit, Zaheer lasted the longest, but even he was no match for whatever sorcery this random man was dealing. Zaheer passed out and was unceremoniously tossed to the ground.

"Well," said the man looking out at the carnage in front of him, "That escalated quickly."

He left the unconscious group in the snow and made his way over to the sack that had the Avatar trapped inside. The closer he got, the more he realized the sack was getting smaller and smaller. "Well, I knew you shrunk a bit when you get older but this is almost comical." As he approached the sack, the sack started moving. Suddenly, it started bulging out all over the place! He took a step back as the bag started to smoke. Small fireballs shot out holes from the sack and soon after small hands and feet were punching and kicking out of them too. Childlike hands and feet.

_Uh-oh._

A small head poked itself out of the biggest hole in the sack. Covered in thick brown hair, the disheveled child looked visibly upset and confused. On the verge of crying, but still holding back the tears, she looked at the only person left standing and begged with her eyes for the man to tell her what was going on because she didn't have the strength left to ask.

"Hello there, little girl?" asked the man. "Looks like you were being kidnapped, but I put an end to that. What's… what's your name?"

"…." She looked at the man for a few seconds before answering. She stared at him with her bright blue eyes with an intensity that he had never known before, "… Korra. My name is Korra, I just lost my parents and I'm the Avatar."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," he said as he placed his hand on her tiny shoulder in sympathy. "The Avatar… Korra. Now it all makes sense," said the man as he got down to one knee. "It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Noatak and, if it's okay with you, you can come with me. I promise I'll take good care of you."

End Prologue

Author's Note: And so, we finally learn how Ming-Hua loses those arms.

What did you think? Please let me know with a comment!

I did some Avatar math which led to Noatak being 28 years old when he finds 5 year old Korra. I'm not doing Equalist!Korra at all, but Amon being Korra's adopted father will play an integral role in this story.

This is my first story in 7 years! After watching the LoK finale (and then the entire series again, twice) I just knew it was going to lead into fanfiction. 


	2. Chapter 1 - Be the Night

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: Legend of Korra. This story is purely for entertainment purposes only.

Book 1: Water

Chapter 1: Be the Night

_12 years later… _

Sprinting across thick branches in the dead of night, scarcely making a sound, Korra was more than ready to flush out her tails and take this battle to the ground. She hid behind the trunk of the next tree she landed on, took out a flask of water, and quickly waterbent it into a humanoid shape that vaguely resembled her. She then made the water clone jump down to the ground and continue running. The soldiers on her trail grinned, at what they thought was Korra panicking, and chased after her water clone with all their might. She nearly gave away her position by laughing. Korra followed after while still staying out of sight on the branches above. The soldiers soon lost sight of their target (since it just turned back into water and puddled beneath their feet).

"Oh she's good alright," said one of the men, "Looks like we've got a real trickster we're dealing with."

"Don't worry about it men," said the leader, "We may not be able to see her anymore, but you can be damn sure she's not going to see us either in this pitch.

"_Oh, I can't wait to see you eat those words,_" she though with a smile.

She took a deep breath out and then in. She summoned some of her fire bending energy and let the fired up chi enter her eyes. After a pleasing and warm sensation washed over them, she was now able to actually see heat and the sources that give it off with incredible detail.

The soldiers that were bumbling around in the dark were now incredibly clear and vibrant to her fiery red eyes. It was time to stop running and time to start beating.

Korra, dressed in a dark red ninja attire, dropped from the branch she was hanging out on with perfect grace. Not a single sound was heard when she landed.

She saw five armed soldiers trying to see into the darkness in a fruitless attempt at spotting her.

_"Can't keep these fine gentleman waiting I suppose," she though. _

Silently sneaking her way past some trees and to her first victim, she waterbent a small icicle to stick to the underside of his shin armor. Believing his leg had gotten stuck on another branch in "this stupid stupid endless stupid forest", he went to go untangle his leg – his last mistake of the night because as soon as he dropped his upper body, she was on him with no hesitation. She swung one arm over his head and under his neck, grabbed her other hand, locked in the choke, straightened out her back and walk in a couple steps. A few strangled gurgles escaped but within no time he was unconscious, lying on the ground and then covered in leaves. One down, four to go.

The next two were standing right next to each other. They thought if they stuck together they'd have a greater chance of winning, but unfortunately for them, lady luck was not on their side against this opponent. Korra was still a burgeoning fighter in her own right, but she still had a lot to learn. She was, however, very proficient at simultaneously fighting several enemies.

She positioned herself on top of another branch above the poor soldiers. She then jumped into action. As she was falling, she swung both her arms around both their heads and latched on tight. She then used all of the momentum to swing her lower body out of the way and used their heads to break her fall. Two down, two to go.

She was already up in the branches again before the last two could check out what the disturbance was.

With only two soldiers left, Korra had to decide on stealth or force. With only seconds to consider her options, she chose "both."

She took some rocks out of her belt and earthbent them to hit some brush about 20 feet away from her position.

As the last two remaining soldiers were on guard and facing the bush, she took out some combat needles and metal bent them right at the lower ranked man's unprotected back. All needles hit their pressure and chi blocking points. The solider dropped like a sack of cabbages.

The leader turned around to face her. Surprise on his face to know that a lone 17 year old girl just took out a squad of Fire Nation soldiers.  
>"Well, girlie, you've got some real skill there. Color me impressed!"<br>"Thank you, Captain Yamasaki! I'm really glad you agreed to train with me today," said Korra. "You're not worried that this isn't exactly legal?"  
>"I don't think that'll be much of a problem, as far as we've come as a country, I still don't think announcing they got their asses kicked by a teenage girl will get them too much cred. Hahaha!" laughed Captain Yamasaki.<p>

"Well, then sir, I suppose you won't mind having a one on one with little ole' me, now would ya?" She asked sweetly.

"Warriors are warriors no matter what's inside their pants," roared Yamasaki, "you're on!"

Captain Yamasaki towered over her at his impressive 6'2" over Korra's 5'7".  
>"But you know what they say about height in a bending battle, don't you?" she asked.<p>

"What?" asked the Captain.

"The bigger you are, the better I can hit you with THIS!" Korra yelled and she used some of her newly trained boxing skills to shoot rapid fire shots aimed directly at the Captain's face.

The captain barely dodged the shots, but a faint graze mark appeared on his left cheek anyway. "Impressive speed, "Kokkora," much more improved than last time!" The Captain then went through a serious of fire bending katas and lit up the night sky with flame.

Not wanting to burn down the forest around them, she closed in and decided to make it in in-fight. She used a boost of fire in her heels to quickly dash towards the Captain and then they engaged in CQBC a.k.a Close Quarters Bending Combat.

Fists and fire were flying, knees being thrown, legs were kicking and deadly elbows were all being thrown too quickly for an average spectator to understand. They had been going at it for well over five minutes straight and it was time to end this before things got too hot to handle.

Korra threw a one-two combo fire powered punch that got the Captain to raise his arms to guard. "_Sometimes basics are the best," _shethought as she then reached for the back of his head, clasping both arms around his forearms and the back of his head, trapping his arms to his head and leaving his midsection wide open. She then threw six consecutive rocket powered knees into the abdomen of the Captain and then dropped him to the floor.  
>"*COUGH COUGH* Urgh," struggled the Captain, "That was new… and a LITTLE overkill, Kokkora!"<p>

"Sorry Captain Yamasaki! I learned that technique when I studied at this little island off the Southern Water Tribe and I couldn't wait to use it.  
>"Well, good news is, it works," said the Captain, "Bad news is, my men and I need healers yesterday." And with that, the captain passed out.<br>"Oh Captain, a little pain is good for you! Builds character! We can worry about all that when my dad gets back tomorrow."

Korra woke up the next day with a well-deserved sense of self satisfaction. Stealth wasn't her forte, but nailing all her moves last night made her feel like all her stealth training was worth it. She was replaying last night's practice in her mind as she was performing her morning rituals and getting ready for the day. Hearing a familiar knock on the door, she put down her breakfast and ran to open it.

As she swung open the door, she saw the welcome sight of slicked back brown hair, sharp and icy blue eyes and a warm smile reserved only for her.

"Dad!" she said in delight as she wrapped her arms around him in a fierce hug and ended up lifting him well off the ground in the process.  
>"Korra," he wheezed, "glad to see you too."<p>

"How did your mission go? Did you take down the Azure Dragon gang?" she asked excitedly.

"They were pretty tough," Noatak began, "but the leader was your typical Satocycle muscle head. Taunting him into a blind rage was pretty easy and very satisfying. I think you would have enjoyed the sight."

"That sounds amazing! I can't wait to start going bad guy hunting with you," she said.

"Well, from what Captain Yamasaki told me this morning, I think it's high time you joined me in the family business."

Korra's face broke out in a huge grin and she was beside herself with joy. She started jumping around and pumping her fists in the air. "Yes! Yesyesyesyesyes!" She exclaimed.  
>"After all these years, you're definitely ready and I couldn't be more proud," said Noatak, "and the timing couldn't be better. I've learned that the anti-bending revolution in Republic City is really starting to pick up steam. They may even be nearing a boiling point soon."<p>

"We're going to Republic City?!" she asked excitedly, "That's where all the air benders are! Oh, I can't wait to meet them!"

"I'm sure they'll be happy to meet you too, even if they don't know you're the Avatar," said Noatak.

Korra laughed, "Maybe I can finally get some lessons on spirituality. Can't say I've mastered everything if that isn't part of it."

"That's very mature of you," beamed Noatak.  
>"So who are you going to be for this trip, Dad?" asked Kokkora.<p>

"I think I'll go with Baroko," said Noatak, "A higher level of status will help us in a city with such an unbalanced division between rich and poor."

"Ooh, fun! I haven't played the part of debutante in a while," said Korra, "This should be a blast. Should I stick with 'Kokkora'?"

"It has a nice ring to it. Sure, why not? I hear the Chief of Police isn't a fan of vigilante justice either," said Noatak with a laugh, "I'm looking forward to meeting her in costume. Speaking of, we have to get you a mask and combat uniform soon. Do you have any ideas on what you would like to we-"

"I HAVE SO MANY IDEAS!" Korra yelled as she ran off to her room, "Let me get my drafts!"

"I've unleashed the beast," muttered Noatak with a smile, "Well, this trip is definitely going to be interesting."

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews, favs and follows everyone! It's very encouraging to see this story getting such a warm reception. I don't have any kind of set release schedule (full-time student/employed), but I'm having a lot of fun writing all this action and I'm looking forward to beginning the romance soon*waggles eyebrows*. Please let me know what you think! I read every review and take the questions posed in them very seriously! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Next time: Republic City!


	3. Chapter 2 - Republic City

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: Legend of Korra. This story is purely for entertainment purposes only.

Book 1: Water

Chapter 2: Republic City

She thought she had seen it all – from the ice palaces of the Northern Water Tribe to the metal structures in Zaofu; from the majestic courtyards of the Fire Nation Capital to the ancient temples of the Air Nomads – but she had never seen a sight like this.

Stepping outside of the Central City Station at the heart of Republic City, Korra saw the melting pot of nations for the very first time. Her senses were assaulted with the absolute intensity of life and energy surrounding her. People yelling for taxis for their ride out of the station, vendors yelling at the top of their lungs to lure tourists into buying their wares, the buildings that reached into the sky itself (dwarfing the tallest buildings in Zaofu) and the gigantic police blimps floating all around them – it was something truly amazing and Korra felt both incredibly important and amazingly insignificant just by being there.

"Wooooooow," was all that she managed to say.

"This, Kokkora, is what the world is capable of when it decides to work together instead of tearing itself apart," said Noatak. Taking no chances, he would refer to Korra by her alias whenever they were in public. "Unfortunately, as progressive as this city is, inequality is more present here than anywhere else in the world. It has lost much since the passing of Avatar Aang."

"It's almost too hard to believe," said Korra, "that something so beautiful can contain something so rotten."

"Indeed," said Noatak, "But that's why we're here -to even the odds for those who have been taken advantage of and to make up for the sins of my father." The power the current triads held was in part to the actions of Noatak's father – Yakone. "Now, let's go settle into our new accommodations, we have much to do.

After checking in at the Republic City Four Elements hotel's Presidential suite, Korra set off around noon to do some exploring around town. She wore her long, brown hair down over her shoulders and went out in a simple, but elegantly designed, Earth Kingdom cheongsam dress and matching flats/accessories.

She spent the next few hours visiting shops of all varieties, sampling foods from various street vendors and taking in all the sights she could before she had to get back to the suite.

When it came time for dinner Korra changed into a formal Water Tribe dress because Noatak was taking her to a top class restaurant called "Kwong's Cuisine" for a special business meeting. It covered her from neck to ankle with intricate Water Tribe designs. The place was so obscenely ornate that Korra had to blink a few times just to adjust for eyes from all the gaud.

Their waiter led them to a private room where a family of three was there to greet them. They all stood up to greet their new guests.

"Baroko," said the man at the head of the table, "It is so wonderful to see you again."

"Hiroshi, the pleasure is all mine," replied Noatak, going by Baroko now.

"I hope that that your trip into the city was without incident, "said Hiroshi.

"We made it in just fine," replied Noatak. He gestured towards Korra, "This is my daughter, Kokkora," Korra bowed with the introduction, "She didn't accompany me on my… last trip to Republic City so she's had quite an adventure today. Kokkora, this is my good friend and business partner – Hiroshi Sato."

Hiroshi, standing tall and proud, wore a gentle smile on his bespectacled face. "It is my deepest pleasure to meet you, Kokkora," he said, "Please, allow me to introduce my family. He gestured at the other two at the table. This is my wife, Ayumi and my daughter, Asami." Both took a bow with the mentioning of their names.

"Hello again, Baroko," said Ayumi, "it's always a pleasure having you back in the city. And what a beautiful daughter you've raised!"

He laughed, "Sometimes, I'm not sure who has been raising who."

Ayumi was tall and radiated grace and kindness. She had an aura of peace around her that Korra could almost physically feel. Korra bowed and greeted Ayumi, but her gaze didn't stay on her for long as she took her first good look at the young woman standing beside her.

Korra thought she had seen it all - from the icy beauties of the Northern Water Tribe to the intimidating but welcoming maidens in Zaofu; from the majestic actors and actresses of the Fire Nation Capital to the air acolytes of the Air Nomads – but she had never seen a sight like her.

Brilliant green eyes, as deep as the finest jade, met her gaze and Korra involuntarily took a breath. She felt her cheeks warm up as she took in the sight of the prettiest woman she'd ever seen. Asami stood a very impressive 6'2" and wore an exquisite red Fire Nation dress. Her hair was as dark as the night sky and her skin was like moonlight against it. Asami reached out to shake Korra's hand, snapping her out of her trance-like state.

"Hello," said Asami, "Baroko told me about you the last time he visited. I'm really excited to finally meet you."

"H-Hi," stammered Korra (stifling a blush), "it's an honor."

The moment they took shook each other's hands was electrifying for both of them. One can learn much about another by just a handshake. Korra could felt a strange combination of softness, dexterity and strength in Asami's hand. She could instantly tell that Asami was no stranger to hard work. It was an addicting touch that she didn't want to let go of.

Asami felt an indescribable strength in Korra's hand. It was hard and muscular; she sensed no hesitation once contact was made. She felt that this was the kind of hand that could hold up the world itself.

They both knew that the other was more than meets the eye.

As both young women were locked in these thoughts, time was a lost concept to them. It wasn't until Hiroshi gave them a courtesy cough that they brought themselves back to reality.

"Well then, now that introductions have been made," said Hiroshi, "let's fill our bellies with the finest cuisine Republic City has to offer."

A ways into dinner and after a few stories about what "Baroko" and Hiroshi have been up to lately, Korra asked the inevitable 'how did you two meet?' question.

"That, my dear girl, is quite the story," said Hiroshi. Putting down his fork and knife and closing his eyes with a deep breath, he continued, "We first met 10 long years ago. A triad called the Agni Kai's started a war within the city. Those terrorists were attacking anything and everything with prominence. Schools, temples, government buildings and even… even the homes of the wealthy." The Sato's all looked downcast in that moment. "Our mansion was attacked by some of its members. My security force was taken out and we were nearly attacked ourselves, but just before that happened, a masked man jumped through our window and attacked those fire benders. Even struck with terror, I was amazed at his masterful use of water bending. He took all those fiends out with such precision and speed – it was almost mesmerizing. We later learned that this masked man, this "Amon," had waged a one person war of his own against the Agni's and led to many of their captures and saved many lives in the process. We were pretty shaken up by what had just happened, but luckily, Baroko and I was to have our first business meeting that day at my estate. He arrived shortly after the attack and helped us through it in our time of greatest need. We've been good friends ever since."

"Wow," Korra said as she let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding, "That's an amazing story."

"Yes," replied Hiroshi, "I don't even want to consider what would have happened if those thugs weren't stopped. Since then, I've made sure to do whatever I could to prepare us against anything like that again."

"That's for sure," Asami piped in, "I've been taking self-defense lessons every week since then."

Hiroshi chuckled, "The best instructors I could round up. I certainly wouldn't like to be on the receiving end of her wrath!"

Korra perked up at this news, "You fight?"

"I may not be a bender, but I can hold my own in one," Asami winked.

"That's so cool," gushed Korra, "I know a few moves myself. Would you… would you like to spar sometime?"

This caught Asami by surprise, "I… Yes, sure. That would be nice. I can bring you to the dojo that I usually train at.

"That would be fantastic," said Korra, glowingly, "I definitely need a good place to train here, but, you know, I don't know where any of the good places are."

With that, they slowly wound down and after a few more stories, they finished their desserts and starting making their way out. After their goodbyes, Asami went up and tapped Korra on the shoulder.

"Hey, um," she started, "if you're free tomorrow, we can go to my favorite Mixed Martial Bending dojo. Its run by these fabulous bending brothers - I'm sure you'll hit it off with them. We can do some sparring then. "

"If I did have anything to do tomorrow, it just got pushed back," Korra said with a face-splitting grin, "Where should I meet you?"

"You're staying at the Four Elements? I can pick you up in my Satomobile," said Asami.

"That sounds wonderful," said Korra. She grabbed Asami's hand and they both felt another electrifying jolt at the touch, "it's a date!" With that, Korra turned and went to catch up with her father – not seeing the bright blush that rose up on Asami's cheeks.


	4. Chapter 3 - The Date

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: Legend of Korra. This story is purely for entertainment purposes only.

Book 1: Water

Chapter 3: The Date

"Okay," she whispered to herself, "You got this; it's nothing new, nothing intimidating, nothing you haven't done before." She repeated this as if it was a mantra – trying to calm her nerves and not appear to be a hot mess when her ride arrived. Wearing an Earth Kingdom tracksuit with her gear bag slung over her shoulder, and her hair tied back in Water Tribe combat braids, she waited for Asami to pick her up outside the main doors of the Four Elements.

She didn't have to wait long as a very expensive looking Satoconvertible pulled up to her.

"Kokkora!" greeted Asami after she put the car in park. She wore her usual Fire Nation styled driving outfit and goggles - her hair draping loosely over her shoulders. Waving her over, Korra threw her gear in the back seat and got into the car. "I'm loving the hair! Were you waiting long?"

"Oh, no, not long at all," she fibbed with a blush. Asami wasn't late, but Korra was waiting for half an hour outside anyway. Feeling too antsy inside, she decided on just awkwardly standing outside until her date arrived. The doorman heard her say that and just gave her a raised eyebrow and a knowing look. Korra saw him give the look and she gave one back that told him to zip it.

Korra's jitters faded away quickly after they started chatting on their drive to the dojo. She found it really easy to talk to the, apparently, incredibly capable driving master next to her. Satomobiles weren't invented all that long ago, yet Asami was driving the beast of a car they were in like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Wow, you drive like a pro!" said Korra.

Asami laughed, "Thanks, well, when my dad reinvents the wheel and makes all the cars, I pretty much get free reign to do whatever I want with all our models. I've clocked in hundreds of hours on the road."

"I can definitely feel the results. Your driving is so smooth," said Korra, "I feel like I'm floating." She closed her eyes, relaxed into the seat and let the comforting breeze flow over her.

Being complemented on my skills instead of my looks, thought Asami with a smile, how refreshing.

The trip to the dojo only took about ten minutes. It was located halfway between the Four Elements and the Republic City Pro-bending Arena. The average driver probably would have taken twice as much time getting there, but Asami knew these streets like the back of her hand. When they got there, Korra couldn't help but let out a whistle.

It was a modest sized two-story building with a sign that read "Republic City MMB" emblazoned along the front wall, but even from the car, Korra could feel the energy coming from inside. After grabbing their gear, they walked inside to see a sight that made Korra feel truly at home.

Fire was flying, water was splashing, earth was erupting and metal was crunching in all forms inside. The dojo may have looked modest on the outside, but it was significantly larger on the inside. Some earth bender must have had a field day modifying this ground, thought Korra. The ground gave way to stairs that led down to a wide open arena sized clearing. There were sections for all types of training down there. Korra saw pro-benders practicing their forms and teamwork, kids in class being taught the forms of various styles of bending, various mats and rings for sparring, benders of multiple elements blasting targets down range and even a group of people practicing chi-blocking.

"This place is amazing!" yelled Korra as she ran down the stairs. "I've never seen so many different styles of martial arts all in the same place!"

"I'm glad you like it," said Asami, "I know the managers here. Come, I'll introduce you before we get started. Mako! Bolin! Get your butts over here so I can introduce you already!" she yelled across the hall.

The benders in question heard her call, waved to her signaling that they were on their way and decided to take a break from practice to go meet her. Mako took a running start and used his fire bending to shoot flames out from the bottoms of his feet and the flats of his palms in order to make a rocket propelled jump that shot him over 200 feet where he then slowed his decent and touched down right next to the two women.

Bolin, never one to be upstaged, kicked the ground until a rock, shaped into a flat board, rose up from the ground and into his hand. He kicked the ground again and he suddenly rose 50 feet and was standing on the top of a ramp that would eventually launch him right next to where his brother landed. With a "YIP YIP" that everyone could hear (whether they wanted to or not), he jumped off his platform, tucked the rock board underneath his feet and shot himself down the ramp. Using earth bending, he unnaturally increased his speed until he flew off the end of the ramp with force.

At the speed he was going, he was going to end up as a messy finger-painting at the other end of the wall if he didn't do something quick. Asami was used to these shenanigans, but Korra's eyes were wide and she was completely enthralled at the sight. Bolin was about to fly right over everyone's heads when he took the rock he was standing on and threw it in front of him. It dug into the earth wall that was right behind him and he used his bending to soften up that rock and that section of the wall, because he then went foot first into the wall and, with a perfect three-point-touch sideways landing, he climbed down and out of the wall and brushed off his dirt crumbs like it was nothing.

Cheers and whistling quickly ensued by the other members of the dojo. "That was great, Bo, but can you do something about the giant RAMP you just grew in the middle of our gym?" asked Mako who really didn't like getting shown up.

"Fine, fine, my dear Bossman," said, Bolin "I'll put my toys away, but don't be jelly bro, we have guests!" Bolin made a few earth bending motions and the ramp descended perfectly back into the ground.

"Ahem," Asami cleared her throat, "Mako, Bo, this is my new friend, Kokkora. She's a big fight fan and this is her first time in the city. I couldn't help but bring her here. Korra, these are some of my best friends – The fire bender is Mako and his earth bending brother is Bolin. Bo for short."

Mako stood as tall as Asami – towering over Korra. She was starting to wonder if this was a city of only giant people. Clad in all the protective gear he still had on when he was training, the faux-hawked haired, brown eyed bender looked like could go into battle anytime. His entrance was very impressive from a fire bending standpoint. Korra knew from her own fire bending training that the amount of effort in achieving perfect balance for flight (of any length) was incredibly difficult. She gave him some mental kudos for that… which was immediately retracted when he opened his mouth.

"Hey Asami," he said, "You came a long way to introduce another fan girl? We're pretty busy right now, I guess we can sign an autograph since we're here."

"Wow," said Asami and Korra simultaneously. Asami continued, "I don't know how you do it, Mako, but out of all the words you could have chosen, every single one of them was wrong."

"What? What did I say?" said Mako. Stumped.

"What my talented and yet, so flabbergasted brother is trying to say is that it is our pleasure to meet you, Kokkora," said Bolin "Any friend of Asami's is a friend of ours!" He finished with his signature big and cheesy grin. Bolin, while not as tall as his brother, was still a solid, bulky and sturdy 5'11". If earth could be personified, Bolin would be its poster child. Bright green eyes shone with the innocence of a child, but Korra felt a familiar pang of sympathy for him that she didn't yet know the meaning.

"Ah, a brother with manners," said Korra, "What a rarity in these changing times." She shot the playful barb at Mako but all he did was pout and look away. Great, she thought, I hope I don't have to deal with this wet blanket all day. "Anyway, you guys can't be much older me, how did you come to run this place?"

"Our mom runs it," said Mako, "She's the head Master here. But when she's busy or not around, we take over classes and some day-to-day business stuff."

"Ah, does your father work here too?" she asked. Not noticing the verbal landmine she tripped over until it was too late.

Mako bit his lip and looked away. Bolin eventually filled in the silence, "Our dad passed away. He died protecting us during the triad war ten years ago."

Korra then figured out the pang she felt earlier and was immediately regretful of bringing up such a sensitive subject, even it was just by accident. A soothing hand soon met her shoulder. She turned back and it was Asami giving her a sad, but comforting look. "I'm sorry, I didn't know," finished Korra.

"It's… You know, it's okay now," surprisingly it was Mako who came back in, "It happened a long time ago and we've made our peace with it. Some masked guy even came in and saved our mom after my dad fell, so we still made it out as most of a family. We ended up meeting Asami and her parents in some counseling meetings for survivors of the attack and even built this gym using our dad's blueprints he made before he died. He always told us that wanted to make it big in Republic City. I wonder what he would think of all this now." By then they had made it to the ground floor and in the center of the awards cabinet, surrounded by dozens of trophies, was a picture of San, Mako and Bolin's father.

"Mako, I…," Korra started.

"Kokkora, I understand. Please, looking back at our loss, and then at what we've done since then - it only serves to remind us of our purpose. We get knocked down, we get back up again. We get thrown out of the ring, we climb back in. Our father died so that we could live and we are going to live as hard as possibly can for him, for mom and for us."

A moment of silence passed between them all as Korra, Asami and Bolin all wiped away some tears they didn't know were forming. Mako had earned back those kudos in Korra's eyes and it was going to be hard to lose them again.

"Now, Kokkora," said Mako, "I apologize for my rudeness earlier, I shouldn't have judged you like that. My bad."

"I pegged you wrong too, champ," said Korra, "Consider it water under the bridge."

"So what does bring you both here?" asked Bolin.

"Kokkora and I are going to do some sparring together," said Asami with a smile.

"Whoa girl, do you know what you're getting yourself into?" asked Bolin, "Asami's as tough as they come!"

"Good, that's what I was hoping for," said Korra, "We brought training gear. I wouldn't want to accidentally mess up her beautiful face," she finished with a wink.

Asami was usually quick with her wit and sharp with her tongue, but she just stood there with a blush rising up her cheeks. "Oh yeah? Well, you just wait until I hit you so hard, you're going to wish I didn't hit you so hard!" Immediate regret and audible groans ensued from everyone who heard that "comeback.

Korra followed Asami into the women's locker room where they changed out of their street clothes and into their sparring gear.

Asami couldn't help but notice Korra's figure as she took off her track jacket. The dress that Korra wore the previous night and the jacket she just took off did well to hide her musculature. Asami's eyes widened when she saw Korra's incredibly toned and defined muscles. Various light scars littered Korra's body. Asami took a pause from putting on her own gear in appreciation of the beauty and strength of the woman in front of her.

Korra donned a sleeveless light blue spandex shirt and dark blue shorts – specially designed for flexibility and movement. She wrapped her hands, wrists and ankles with athletic wrap for reinforcement. She was grabbing her grappling gloves, shin guards and sparring helmet out of her bag when she caught the sight of Asami changing out of the corner of her eye.

Asami had changed out of her riding clothes and was in the process of putting on her training outfit. To Korra's surprise, Asami also had her fair share of battle scars, though not as many and none as severe as the ones she owned herself. Having access to the best healers in the city probably helped with that, but it did prove Asami's dedication to her training.

Wearing a short sleeved red spandex shirt with black stripes running down the sides and a pair of black spandex shorts that clung to her legs, she also wrapped up and grabbed the rest of her gear.

Giving each other cheeky smiles, they exited the locker room and prepared for battle.

They spent 20 minutes doing warm-ups which included: running, stretching, tumbling, form drills and shadow boxing. Korra and Asami geared up and faced off against each other in the ring.

"Okay, ladies," said Bolin, "I'll be the ref in this spar. Some quick guidelines: no shots to the eyes, no shots to the back of the neck or spines, I'll be on the lookout for tap outs, but be mindful of each other's limits. Aim for technique, not power and hopefully we won't to wake anyone up later. We'll keep this a bend free match for a fair fight and I'd tell you no shots below the belt but I guess you two don't really have to worry about that." This earned him a pointed look from the ladies in question.

"Bo… It's not like we're immune to damage down there," said Asami.

"I'm not sure how to tell you this… but it's like getting kicked in the balls and the shin at the same," said Korra.

Bolin stood there speechless and now incredibly uncomfortable. "Ah.. haha.. Well then, noooo shots below the belt then! Other than that, you two can go to town on each other."

Both women simultaneously raised an eyebrow at him.

Mako, who was sitting on the bench at the side of the wring, brought his palm to his face and just shook his head. "Bo, just stop while you're ahead."

"What?" Bolin asked, "What'd I say now?"

And with that, Korra and Asami turned their attentions back on each other.

Each taking a deep breath, they tuned out the rest of the world and focused in on each other. Locking eyes, they started circling around the ring – analyzing the others movements and feeling each other out.

While Korra traveled the world and learned from masters of bending and fighting in every corner of every nation, Asami learned from travelling masters all around the world from the comfort of Republic City. Aspects of their backgrounds shown through their respective fighting styles as they stared each other down.

Korra being much shorter than her opponent, had her arms raised close to her head with her fist hovering just below her line of sight. She hunched her back and had her knees bent – ready to spring into action at any time.

"Turtlesnake style boxing?" asked Asami.

"One of my favorites," replied Korra.

Asami, being much taller, had her arms raised, one fist in front of the other. Her weight shifted mostly on her back foot with her front leg bouncing lightly off the ground.

"Southern Fire Nation kickboxing?"

"One of mine," winked Asami.

With their weapons of choice drawn, they now knew what they were up against. Korra's form allowed her great defenses – being able to easily cover up vulnerable areas with blocks and weaves while being able to get in close to throw pinpoint punches. Asami's style made great use of her taller stature and longer limbs. She would be able to create and close distances in the blink of an eye while still able to throw powerful kicks and strikes at range.

With that, Korra grinned and began her charge. In an instant, she closed the distance and let loose a blindingly quick left jab. Asami reflexively brushed it aside with her right palm. In response, she threw a left knee at Korra's body. Korra raised up her knee and dropped her right elbow – effectively creating a shield – and blocked the blow. She went grab the leg but Asami pulled back with a push and got out of her grappling range.

Asami and Korra began circling each other again. This time it was Asami who took a step in and fired a series of three powerful body kicks. Left, right then left again – each kick felt like a whip as her long legs picked up incredible momentum on their way to Korra's body. Korra managed to block the first two and ducked underneath the last one. She took a couple steps in, dodging and weaving underneath Asami's follow-up kicks and purposefully missed a left straight. Asami ducked her head out of the way but was nearly taken out as Korra followed through – she let her body follow the jab and twister her torso all the way around in a circle – her lower body shifting and twisting in order to add to her torque – and she launched a right back fist with incredible speed at Asami's head. Instinct, rather than thought, was the only thing that made her snap her head back again as the blurred fist brushed against the tip of her nose.

As Korra was regaining her balance, Asami took the opportunity and went for a low sweep of Korra's legs. She succeeded in making Korra lose her balance, but Korra caught the ground with her palm and cartwheeled out of Asami's range and added a flip for good measure.

Taking a moment to catch their breaths, the women looked at each other with a newly found respect. With grins plastered on their faces, they nodded at each other and charged back into the fray.

After a while, the intensity that their spar started off with had turned into something more of a fast paced dance. Instead of trying to knock each other's heads off, they were communicating their fists instead. It was playful, flirty and just one more thing that made Bolin really uncomfortable.

Mako, being the older brother with more life experience, saw what this fight had turned into. With a sigh, he placed a hand on his brother's shoulder and said, "Come on, Bo, let's get back to our training. We've got a match this weekend after all. I think they've got this handled."

Bolin didn't really know what was going on anymore, but he knew his services were no longer needed, "Yeah, big bro, I think you're right."

As day turned to dusk, the happily worn-out women eventually returned to the Four Elements to drop Korra off.

Korra grabbed her gear out of the car and Asami followed her to the rotating entrance door.

"Asami, today was just amazing," Korra gushed, "I had such a good time. Meeting all those new people, hanging out at the dojo and sparring with you… It's the most fun I've had in a long time." She was practically glowing.

"I'm glad to head that, Kokkora," replied Asami with a blush, "I also had a phenomenal time with you and, um, I would like to take you out again, if that's okay with you." She finished looking away bashfully.

Korra's grin made Asami's heart skip a beat. "I would like that. Very much," she emphasized.

Asami let loose a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Good. That's good." She was happy and relieved at the same time. "There's a pro-bending match that Mako and Bo are going to be in this weekend. Would you like to come see it with me? I've got the best seats in the house," she finished with a laugh.

"Definitely," responded Korra.

"Well, I hope you have a good rest of your night," said Asami.

"Thanks," said Korra, "But there's just one thing that will make it perfect."

"Oh?" asked Asami.

"Yeah," replied Korra. She took a hold of Asami's hand and stepped in close. Locking eyes once again, she silently asked for permission to close the distance. Asami saw the look and took the initiative – she closed her eyes and pressed her lips against Korra's. They shared a kiss so electrifying that the lights around them literally started to flicker. It felt like an eternity of bliss but, in reality, only lasted a few seconds before they broke apart. With heavy blushes on both their faces, they separated and let their hands go.

"Wow," exhaled Asami.

"Yeah," replied Korra.

With a last lingering look, they said their goodbyes and parted ways for the night.

Korra ascended the elevator and entered the presidential suite. Noatak was inside on one of the sofas reading a newspaper. Seeing the still flustered look Korra was wearing like a badge of honor, he asked, "I take it your date went well?"

"Yeah, you could say that," she said as she gave him a lopsided grin and fell back first into the other couch.

"I'm glad you had fun," he said, "Get some rest, because according to some information I just got from one of my sources, we have work to do tonight."

Korra had one arm slung across her face, but her smile got even brighter. She didn't know how this day could have gotten any better, but lo and behold, she received another gift from the spirits. As she drifted off to sleep for her power nap, she thought, "I can't wait to suit up."

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this super-sized chapter! Thank you all for your wonderful reviews/favs/follows. It really is encouraging!

To my unregistered reviewers: I would love to respond to your messages and talk more about my processes for this story, but I can't respond unless you make an account here at . If you like, feel free to register or pm/leave a review with an email or something so we can converse.


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